After discussing and considering the idea of hiring French-Reneker-Associates during the Jefferson County Board of Supervisor’s meeting last week, the board decided today, to hire the firm to remodel the exterior of the courthouse.

“I propose that they start doing the research,” Supervisor Dick Reed said, adding that the courthouse needed tuck-pointing and waterproofing; the sidewalks and parking lot needed to be modified for public safety and accessibility. He also mentioned additional handicap parking, courthouse security and reserving a space for the future Freedom Rock.

“We need to reserve as much green as we can for environmental purposes,” Reed said.

Reed said the courthouse security committee would meet Thursday.

The supervisors discussed with Matt Walker of French-Reneker possibilities on making the parking lot more handicapped accessible.

Currently, the south side entrance is the only handicap accessible entrance.

“We have three handicap [parking spaces] right now, and they are on the east side of the building,” Reed said. “Could we get folks up here closer?”

Walker said that he thought it might be possible.

Supervisor Becky Schmitz also mentioned some problematic areas, such as the parking spaces west of the county attorney’s office as well as spaces near the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center.

Supervisor Lee Dimmitt mentioned that 15-minute parking spaces in the lot didn’t make much sense for people who were at the courthouse for Jury duty or other things that might take longer.

The supervisors asked about final drawings.

“We’ll put together conceptual layouts for the parking lot. Once you decide on what concept you want to proceed with, then we will put together final drawings,” Walker said.

In other news, the supervisors discussed the road closing process, since a film-crew recently closed a portion of a county road.

The supervisors said they had received calls from community members that the road was closed and they were not aware of it.

Sheriff Gregg Morton said neither he nor emergency medical services were notified that a filming-crew would be closing a portion of Isaac Walton Road Wednesday evening.

The road is divided between the city and the county, and serves as a detour for Salina Road and 185th Street traffic.

Although the crew had an approved permit from the city to film in the area, it did not have authorization to close the road.

“A filming crew applied to the city to film what [we] believe was a vehicle related scene on Walton Road. They indicated to the city that they would not close the road, and that it would not be blocked,” said city administrator Mike Harmon in an interview today. “They did not follow what they committed to in their permit. We followed up with them the next day, and stressed the importance of following what was approved in the permit, and they apologized and said that it would not happen again.”